We have an additional major influence in our kid's life these days. To many things we do or say, our 6-year old often counters the great moral weight of "but my teacher says . . . "The latest conflict is Christmas. "My teacher says Christmas celebrates the birth of the son of god"our 1st-grader carefully queried. In our house, like many, Christmas is not a moment of religious reflection. We're atheists. Mmmm. We responded to our daughter that people who go to church believe Christmas is a religious celebration. Pensively, she asked for examples of people who go to church. We named off a few friends and then her grandparents. This was perhaps the biggest shocker for our 1st grader. "You mean grandpa and Vovo (Portugese for grandma) are CHRISTIANS?" After about 10 seconds, which is a long pause in a conversation with a child, we admitted, yes, they go to church.
Then we got down to the meat of the matter. Some parts of Christmas are evidently Christian, some parts are evidently not. Christmas trees, mistletoe, christmas stockings, christmas lights, holly, yule logs. These are non-Christian elements of Christmas. So, where does Jesus fit in? Despite English depictions of blondness, Jesus was Middle Eastern and also was actually born perhaps a thousand years after Yuletide traditions had begun in Northern Europe.
Before the period of Jesus' existence in Palestine, people worshipped various Gods and many were associated with new beginings and resurrection and had similar stories to the Christian messiah. The Egyptians hundreds of years earlier worshipped Osiris who was known as the good shephard. The Greeks had Dionysus who was born on December 25th and the Romans had Attis also born and celebrated on December 25th. Attis was supposed to have been crucified and lived in the underworld for 3 days. And then rose. Each tradition and story gave way to the next. Christianity existed within its own context but not disconnected with past religious traditions and beliefs. Many religions before Christianity had their own Messiahs.
What do we know to be true about Jesus? We do not know for sure that he existed. If he did it would have been around the time of the Roman occupation of Palestine. He probably opposed the occupation. He probably opposed the collaboration of Jewish leaders with the Romans and probably had great support for his egalitarian philosophy among the poor. He was probably involved in some way, at least agitationally, with the Jewish uprisings against Roman rule and he was probably nailed to a cross for challenging the ruling class' view of the world.
He most definitely was unfamiliar with sleigh bells and snowflakes. He knew nothing of reindeers in the sky and elves making toys. Based on the turning over of tables at the market place at the Temple, he probably would not align himself with the merchants of profit who are the foundations of today's capitalist Christmas season.
It was not long after his Sermon on the Mount that his proclamation that blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the earth, an extremely revolutionary notion, was edited and rewritten. It then became blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Which is an version of "it will be greater, later" which has always been sold to the poor to rationalize our meagre bread today that will be cake in a later life.
Christianity and Jesus' teachings over thousands of years have been adapted to suit those that rule over us. It has lasted so long, in part, because its kernel is revolutionary and its shell is conservative and this dialectical pull has made it useful to all parties. Jesus was a rebel, no doubt. He was quite possibly crucified by the Roman imperialists for doing something very right. Something morally right for the poor and against the rich.
But one thing's for sure, a prophet or not, he would have had no idea that he would one day have his skin lightened, his hair highlighted and then be associated with a mid-winter celebration that annually captivates children and simultaneously puts their parents into further debt. That's the leap of imagination that it takes to hook up Jesus with Christmas that our teacher, as wonderful as she is, did not explain.
If it's not too late: Karl Kautsky's marxist Foundations of Christianity is a great stocking stuffer.
Christianity and Christmas Part2: the Yuletide traditions will be up on the blog on Thursday, Christmas Eve.
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